Have you ever wished you had a superpower?
As kids, many people imagine being super strong, being able to fly, or running at lightning speed.
Although any of those would be AWESOME — many of us adults would be happy to snap our fingers and have the dishes done…
Or laundry fold itself.
Or floors mop themselves.
Now THOSE are some practical superpowers!
But what superpowers would help take your business to new heights?
How about being ultra-efficient?
Getting more work done in less time?
Not having to sit through pointless marketing meetings at work?
Getting high-level experience at a fraction of the full-time cost?
Having a marketing executive produce results only working one to two days a week?!
Efficiency, time management, and accessibility aren’t as dramatic as flying (or self-folding laundry… not gonna lie, I REALLY wish I had that one!), but they can seem almost as unrealistic.
While they aren’t exactly superpowers, effective fractional CMO (chief marketing officer) strategy can make these goals a reality for your business!
Do you really need someone 40+ hours a week?
It’s no secret that marketing is a big expense for many businesses. But is good marketing worth the cost? We could be *a little* biased, but the answer is a resounding YES!
Skilled marketing leaders can take a business to amazing heights, and the skills and experience of those experts come at a premium. Many full-time CMOs work forty (or more!) hours a week leading teams, developing plans, and implementing strategy — and are worth every penny of their 200-300k salary.
As a business flourishes, the goal is to be able to hire a full-time CMO to lead the marketing team.
However, hiring a skilled full-time executive just isn’t a viable option for every business (especially when they’re just beginning their marketing journey).
- Maybe a 200k, salaried employee isn’t economically feasible.
- Maybe a business doesn’t yet have the workload to justify the expense of a CMO.
- Maybe a company can’t find the “right fit” employee within commuting distance of their office.
For businesses like these, a marketing executive with great fractional CMO strategy can check all the boxes.
- They can offer support at the level you need.
- FCMOs meet remotely, so they aren’t limited by location.
- They bring the high-level skills required to help achieve your goals.
- And they provide their expertise at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive.
With effective fractional CMO strategy, an FCMO can take your business to the next level while working with your team for one to two hours per week.
How can FCMOs be successful while meeting remotely for a few hours a week? Are you superheroes or something?
Well even if we were, we couldn’t reveal our secret superhero identities…
…but getting results doesn’t happen by getting bit by a radioactive spider! Working remotely with a team (for a couple of hours a week) is possible through great time management and clear expectations.
It might sound impossible, but this virtual model has proven successful for thousands of fractional professionals across the country — and we’ve seen amazing results with our clients!
To understand how it’s possible to achieve big results with an abbreviated schedule, let’s consider the unhealthy “time-wasters” that fill up schedules in many businesses.
Managing (and valuing) time effectively
Have you ever sat through a two-hour meeting that should have been an email? Did you wish you could develop the power of invisibility and sneak out? At 8 SIGNAL, a big part of our fractional CMO strategy is making sure meetings count!
As an FCMO, our meetings:
- Start and end on-time
- Stay on topic and get to the bottom of issues
- Create accountability and evaluate effectiveness
Through healthy meeting cadences, routines, and focus on objectives, we’re able to accomplish much in a short amount of time.
Helicopter Management
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for businesses to spend a LOT of time practicing “helicopter management” — hovering over employees to make sure jobs are completed. This can happen for a number of reasons, including:
- Unclear expectations
- A lack of accountability in follow-through
- Having team members working outside of their strengths
- A team that doesn’t have the tools or training that they need
Part of an effective fractional CMO strategy is making sure that the team understands goals, are clear on tasks and deadlines, and has what they need to be successful. At 8 SIGNAL, we build accountability for completing tasks into meetings, so gaps and achievements are clear.
Through meaningful communication and follow-through, the team has the freedom to function without constant supervision.
How can you squeeze a week’s worth of work into a couple of hours?
If it sounds impossible to do a week’s worth of work in two hours, that’s because it IS impossible. We don’t have super speed (or the ability to slow down time, as handy as those both would be…). And we aren’t trying to condense a full-time position into part-time.
Like we mentioned, businesses that require 40+ hours a week devoted to marketing would be best served by a full-time CMO. And 8 SIGNAL’s goal as an FCMO is to see you outgrow fractional CMO services!
But if your business is growing and you need a marketing expert to get you where you want to be…
Or you’re hitting the ceiling because you aren’t sure how to achieve your goals — our fractional CMO strategy might be the missing piece to unlock your company’s success.
A super strategy for success
We don’t have superpowers like breathing under water, turning huge and green, or making dishes wash themselves!
What we do have is great time management, laser focus on your business’s goals, and proven processes to help your team function effectively. At 8 SIGNAL, we have the expertise, passion, and fractional CMO strategy to help businesses grow and reach clients. And we’d love to use that ability to help your business thrive.
Are you wondering whether 8 SIGNAL’s fractional CMO services can take your business from average to amazing? Check out our FAQ blog post to find out more!
